Meta says it has resolved a security issue that allowed hackers to use its AI chatbot to hijack Instagram accounts, including those of high-profile individuals.
Hackers targeted accounts belonging to former President Barack Obama's White House, beauty retailer Sephora, and the U.S. Space Force's chief master sergeant, John Bentivegna.
A video posted on X showed a hacker asking Meta's AI assistant to link their account to a new email address, bypassing two-factor authentication. The chatbot sent a verification code to the new email, allowing the hacker to reset the password.
Meta said in a statement: "This issue has been resolved and we are securing impacted accounts."
The breach comes as Meta shifts human roles to AI and increases tech-forward features, including customer support on Instagram and Facebook. The company's chatbot, launched last year, will continue to be updated to handle tasks like reporting scams, managing privacy, and resetting passwords.
In January, hundreds of Meta staff were laid off in its Reality Labs division. In late May, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced no further layoffs for 2026, on the same day the company laid off 10% of its workforce and transferred 7,000 employees to AI-related initiatives.